Today In Salisbury’s History: Sunday, Aug. 31, 1975

In a “war of nerves” between Wicomico Teachers Association President J.C. Parker and acting Schools Superintendent Harold Fulton, the school board’s third rejection of a 12 percent wage hike demand for the county’s 7,500 teachers means the entire dispute may be headed for arbitration. As part of a job action, teachers returning next week will not be performing duties outside of their contract, including heading after-school clubs, chaperoning dances or field trips, working on school publications or taking phone calls from parent or students after school hours.

Joseph Guy Naples, 19, of Eden, drowned while swimming with friends in a burrow pit on Fooks Road near Salisbury. Naples worked as a forklift operator at the Coca-Cola Plant in Salisbury. Witnesses said Naples was calling for help, but when two friends swam close to him, he seemed to be treading water just fine. They thought he was “calling wolf,” and swam back to shore. A few minutes later, Naples called for help again, and then disappeared under the surface. The burrow pit was dug to provide soil for construction of Route 13 Bypass of Salisbury.

For weeks it was feared that the 1,150 students who will begin attending the new $6.5 million Parkside High School on Tuesday would have to pack a lunch. The reason? The school’s state-of-the-art cafeteria would not be ready for operation. Fortunately, the cafeteria passed an inspection Friday and will be open when students arrive. Meanwhile, however, 14 of the school’s 48 classrooms will not be ready; Principal Anthony Sarbanes said classes could be conducted temporarily in other areas of the building.

A Board of Trustees has been selected for the new regional community college being developed to serve Wicomico and Worcester counties. Approved by Gov. Marvin Mandel, the seven are: Sterral Gregory, representative of Local 24 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Dr. Rufus Johnson, a veterinarian who serves as president of The Wicomico County school board; Robert Lawrence of Lawrence Volkswagon, president of the Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development Commission; David Stein, president of Salisbury Steel and chairman-elect of the Greater Salisbury Committee; Thelma Conner, and Ocean City hotel owner and president of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce; and Marvin McGoogan, a Pocomoke City resident and Director of Engineering for NASA at Wallops Island.

Joseph C. Brown, 81, of 1023 East Church St., died after a long illness. Brown was known to everyone in Salisbury, having worked at Feldman Bros. Furniture for 51 years before retiring. He was a 20-Year-Club Member of the Salisbury Fire Department Station 2.

Greg Bassett is editor and general manager of Salisbury Independent. Reach him at gbassett@newszap.com

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